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‘EAT-Lancet diet too costly for 1.58 billion people’
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- A diet meant to improve both human and planetary health would be unaffordable for at least 1.58 billion people, mostly in subSaharan Africa and South Asia, estimates a new study from researchers at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in the U.S.
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- EATLancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health:
(1) Had Published recommendations earlier this year, for a universal diet that addresses both human and planetary health.
(2) Adherence to this diet: could ensure that our future food systems can sustainably and nutritiously feed the estimated population of 10 billion people in 2050.
- ‘Affordability of the EAT–Lancet reference diet: a global analysis’
(1) A new study published in: The Lancet Global Health
(2) Addressed affordability: one of the main components lacking in the creation of the recommended diet.
- Findings of the study:
(1) When formulating this pioneering benchmark diet — addressing individual health outcomes as well as the health of the planet — the Commission deliberately did not take its cost into account,”
(2) EATLancet diet was 64% more costly than the lowest cost combination of foods that would provide a balanced mix of 20 essential nutrients.
(3) The EATLancet diet has higher quantities of animal source foods and fruits and vegetables than the minimum required for nutrient adequacy, and much higher quantities than are now consumed in low income countries.
(4) The global median of proposed diet would cost $2.84/day (₹200).
(1) In lowincome countries, that amounts to 89.1% of a household’s daily per capita income, which is more than what people can actually spend on food.
(2) In highincome countries, it was found that EATLancet reference diet would cost 6.1% of percapita income, which is often less than what people now spend on food.
(3) In subSaharan Africa, nearly 57% of people earn less than the local cost of the EATLancet diet,
(4) In South Asia that figure is 38.4%, in West Asia and North Africa 19.4%, in East Asia and the Pacific 15%, in Latin America and the Caribbean 11.6%, in Europe and Central Asia 1.7% and in North America 1.2%.
(5) The EATLancet Commission diet:
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Sources
The Hindu